Video gameproductions are finally shedding their perpetual curse of being a bottomless collection of box office flops.TheSuper Mario Bros MovieandThe Last of UsTV show have garnered critical acclaim, great box office numbers, and a renewed interest by Hollywood to makemore faithful adaptations of video game properties. 2023 will also see a film adaptation ofFive Nights at Freddy’sandResident Evil: Death Island, while 2024 will see bothIron LungandSonic the Hedgehog 3hit theaters.
Films likeSonic the HedgehogandDetective Pikachuhave also made their mark by surprising audiences while offering a glimmer of hope for gamers worldwide to see their beloved properties on the big screen finally. After all, fan outrage sentthe Sonic producers back to the drawing boardto create a more faithful rendition of the character on screen. Still, it’s nice to remember where we come from to understand why we are getting such great content these days.
Take a look back and remember some of the most terrible video game films to ever grace the screen. The lackluster efforts of these past offerings have shaped the creative input of studios, making them realize fans don’t want a deconstruction of these beloved characters. Many of these films are also a worthy reminder that some video game IPs don’t work as films at all, and they are best served in their original medium.
20Super Mario Bros. (1993)
Falling in the category of “being so bad it’s good,” the firstSuper Mario Brosfilm from 1993 is an absolute guilty pleasure film that holds a special place in our hearts. Directed by Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, with a script by Parker Bennett, the film unexpectedly brought the iconic video game to life. Bob Hoskins stars as Mario and John Leguizamo as Luigi; their mission is to help Princess Daisy free her kingdom from King Koopa, played by Dennis Hooper.
Despite its mixed reception, the film was groundbreaking for its time, with impressive sets and great visual effects.Super Mario Brosmay not have received critical acclaim,but it’s undeniably a lot of fun to watch. The story takes bold liberties with the source material, creating a unique and imaginative dystopian version of the Mushroom Kingdom while embracing its flaws and offering an entertaining experience.
For some reason, in the early 2000s, every studio seemed to thinkUwe Boll was a master storyteller. He’s responsible for many films in this list, and they all have a single trait in common: they bombed hard at the box office.The House of the Deadis a hilariously bad yet strangely enjoyable film directed by Boll and based on the popular first-person shooter video game of the same name. It was a modest effort made on a low budget of $12 million, which is still a lot of money to make a partly competent movie.
The story is set on an island where a massive rave is taking place. A group of young people gets on a boat to join the party but find the site deserted and ravished. A group of undead zombies takes out the crew individually as the island’s mystery is slowly unraveled. In the end, only two survivors remain. The plot is set to be a prequel to the videogame itself. House of the Dead is not a masterpiece and never intends to be. The unpretentious film is good enough to switch your brain off and watch a bunch of 20s-somethings gets killed for no reason.
18Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
Some of the most amusing cinematic video game adaptations are big blockbuster films.Prince of Persia: The Sands of Timeis such an offering. The visually stunning adventure is more of a guilty pleasure than a cinematic experience. Directed by Mike Newell, with a somewhat clever script by Boaz Yakin, the film features the horribly miscast Jake Gyllenhaal as the charming Prince Dastan and Gemma Arterton as the feisty Princess Tamina.
The story adapts the lastPrince of Persiagame that debuted in 2003 of the same name, and it had a massive budget of $200 million, which was well-spent on high production value. Despite its shortcomings, the film is considered competent and amusing at most, not exactly the impression you’d expect from such a massive effort. It’s a movie with great action sequences, an enchanting atmosphere, and visually dazzling.
17Monster Hunter (2020)
Paul W. S. Anderson could have some merits to dispute the crown to the worst video game filmmaker of all time from Uwe Boll, but most of Anderson’s films actually make money. The man has made sixResident Evilfilms with a cumulated box office gross of $1.2 billion.Monster Hunterwas his last offering, released in 2020 and starring his wife, Milla Jovovich, as Captain Natalie Artemis and Tony Jaa as the Hunter. Everyone critically panned the film, but you can still enjoy it for the guilty pleasure it represents.
While the story follows the premise of the game to some extent, Anderson keeps committed to making Jovovich the main lead of the story, with the Hunter being more of a side character. It’s not an unusual twist from the director,but one that didn’t resonate this time with audiences, as the movie flopped hard at the box office, making only $45 million from its $60 million budget, although it should be noted it was released during the COVID-19 pandemic when many theaters were not open. The story is still mildly entertaining, with thrilling battles and stunning visuals. It may not be a masterpiece, but it offers a fun ride worth your time.
16Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)
To be fair,Mortal Kombatwas a tough act to follow. Paul W. S. Anderson did such an excellent job with the first film. The next one had to go bigger, and that’s precisely what the studio went for.Mortal Kombat: Annihilationis an unabashedly entertaining film that embraces the over-the-top nature of the video game. It was directed by John R. Leonetti, who worked in the cinematography of the first entry. Unlike the previous film,Annihilationdives into campiness far more but still remembers to deliver great action-packed scenes.
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The screenplay by Brent V. Friedman takes off right after the first film’s end. Most of the cast was replaced with unknowns, but the studio managed to secure Robin Shou to reprise his role as Liu Kang and Talisa Soto as Kitana. However, not getting Christopher Lambert back as Raiden was a colossal mistake, as James Remar doesn’t have the same gravitas playing the character. The crammed storyline had too many characters and took most of its cues from the recently releasedMortal Kombat 3. It’s still a good watch, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the original.
15Tekken (2009)
Directed by Dwight H. Little, known for his work on action films,Tekkenis a footnote in the world of video game movies and the perfect guilty pleasure for fans of the franchise. If anything, the movie conveys much of the canon from the original video game, which, unlike most fighting game franchises, has rich lore with family ties and multiple stories about betrayals and conspiracies.
The screenplay by Alan B. McElroy captures the essence of the game, and the competent cast manages to play their partswhile showcasing their martial arts expertise. For this movie, we have Jon Foo as the lead, Jin Kazama, and Kelly Overton as the hardened Christie Monteiro, with a special appearance by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa asTekken’sprominent villain, Heihachi. The movie is loaded with electrifying fighting sequences, and the hefty budget of $35 million managed to secure good production values. Unfortunately, this film bombed hard, grossing a mere $1.6 million in its theatrical run.
14Double Dragon (1994)
Nothing can top the cheesier value ofDouble Dragonin the world of video game adaptations. Relegated to the butt of many jokes for many decades, this is one of those films that it’s so bad it’s good (the second one to get that distinction in our ranking). Directed by James Yukich, who was mostly known for his work in music videos, this movie aims to bring the popular beat ‘em up video game to life but merely lands as a charming camp-fest.
A screenplay by Peter Gould and Paul Dini should have been good enough, but the story embraces the over-the-top nature of the game by trying to build a plot over a basic premise. Pairing the talents of Mark Dacascos as Jimmy Lee and Scott Wolf as Billy Lee was a bold move,as both actors have great chemistryand enough showmanship to offer a great display of martial arts skills. The film was made on a low budget of $7.8 million. While it was a total bomb, it still delivered an entertaining experience with colorful settings, energetic fighting sequences, and game-accurate characters.
13BloodRayne (2005)
Ah, yes, another “masterpiece” by Uwe Boll.BloodRayneis likely the film that sent the director to the direct-to-video purgatory. This movie epitomizes a guilty pleasure, delivering an entertainingly terrible experience. Based on the videogame of the same name, the script written by Guinevere Turner embraces the campiness and Gothic themes included in the game. Kristanna Loken takes the lead as the half-human, half-vampire Rayne, with Sir Ben Kingsley starring as the villainous Kagan; the acclaimed actor certainly looks like he’s here for the paycheck and nothing else.
BloodRayneis a top B-movie extravaganza. The $25 million budget can’t hide its flaws, but it’s a fun watch for its unintentional humor and over-the-top action scenes.BloodRayneis a film that doesn’t take itself seriously, and neither should you. It’s the best way to enjoy the ridiculous dialogue and cheesy special effects. Beware, though, if you find yourself craving the ludicrous shenanigans of this movie; Boll managed to complete the trilogy with two direct-to-video sequels found in the discount bin of your favorite video store!
12Wing Commander (1999)
Wing Commanderhas the distinction of being the filmthat tanked Freddie Prinze Jr’s career. That’s not what makes this film a guilty pleasure. Wing Commanders is a popular IP with 12 games to its name. The space combat simulator had enough of a plot to build something great, yet the film adaptation went the cheesy route with an underwhelming story. The worst part of it? The film is directed by Chris Roberts, the creator of theWing Commandervideo game series, which is baffling, to say the least.
The screenplay by Roberts himself barely captures the spirit of the game’s universe, and the budget of $30 million was more than enough to convey its message. One can’t blame Roberts since he’s solely responsible for driving his vision to the big screen. Frankly, the results did not match audiences’ expectations. It was a case of the wrong film for the wrong times. The silly, outdated special effects are charming, but they would age quickly, eventually surpassed by TV offerings just a few years later.
Dead or Aliveis aTekkenclone that was very popular with Playstation Fans. The franchise has six entries in the original saga, with multiple spin-offs across platforms. UnlikeTekken, the games have no deep storyline (even though they try). The franchise is well knownfor having a slew of female fighters using scantily clad outfitsand loads of fan service served in every game. Somehow, this was enough for Hollywood, and a film was released in 2006. Directed by Corey Yuen, this action choreography stunt-coordinator turned director knew exactly what he was getting into.
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The movie brings the popular fighting game franchise to life with over-the-top action sequences and vibrant visuals. The screenplay by J.F. Lawton and Adam Gross barely holds a plot but captures the essence of the game’s characters and their fighting skills. You get most of the popular characters in the game represented by several newcomers to the industry, with a heavy focus on beautiful girls for all the warrior women. A budget of $30 million was enough to get something decent out of this IP, but all we get is a series of pretty, mildly entertaining sequences, which is more than enough if you’re looking for mindless fun.
